BAC9928 Pica Press, Mountfield: 1996. Octavo, dustwrapper, 264 pp., colour plates by the author, maps.<P> Covers a single genus (Lonchura) with 40 species of seed-eating passerines. Most are found in Asia and Australia, but six species occur in Africa and others have colonised various Pacific islands. The taxonomy of this group is still unresolved. DUSTWRAPPER TEXT Munias and mannikins (the names are interchangeable) comprise a single genus of some 40 species of seed-eating passerines inhabiting the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. Typically, they have short or tapered tails and stout bills, and range in size from the diminutive Madagascar Mannikin, which is about the size of a goldcrest or kinglet, to the chunky Grand Mannikin of New Guinea. In their natural habitat they are birds of the savanna and grassland, but they have adapted to a number of different habitats including forests and gardens. Most munias and mannikins are to be found in Asia and Australasia, but six species occur in Africa and some even have colonised various Pacific islands. The taxonomy of this often neglected group of birds is still not fully resolved. Several species, such as the striking Java and Timor Sparrows, are often placed in different genera but, based on his considerable experience of the group, the author prefers to unite all these aberrant forms into a single genus, Lonchura. Furthermore, isolated populations of some species are very poorly known and some of these represent distinct taxa - the author recently described ten new subspecies of munias and mannikins and further research is likely to reveal more in the future. One form from Borneo was so distinct that it has now been described as a new species and another well-defined form, which is covered in this book, still awaits a formal description. The author has been studying munias and mannikins for many years, both in the field and in his own aviaries. His extensive travels have enabled him to see most of the species in the wild and in addition he has kept many of them in captivity, giving him a unique opportunity to study them at close quarters. The book is illustrated with 16 colour plates of perched birds in field guide style depicting every known plumage, plus a unique set of 64 plates of coloured `measured drawings' of individual birds to show plumage variation. There are also numerous line drawings, most of which show behaviour never before illustrated or described. The result of all this original research is a comprehensive monograph covering every species and subspecies in breathtaking detail. ISBN: 9781873403518 $65.00AUD
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